ARTHK11: Indian presence – Cutting edge art

Installations, sculptures, video art, photographic montages, paintings and people with probing eyes and insight – ARTHK11 promises to send your imagination into the orbit of heady infinity. From reductive logic to excessive consumerism, from reverent minimalism to maximal manifestos – ARTHK11 will give art lovers more than just something to savour. Asia is the canvas and the world is its inspiration -as beauty and originality vie to set new bench marks.

In 2010 the Fair welcomed 155 of the world’s leading galleries from 29 countries and an audience of over 46,000 (up 60% on 2009). Exhibitors included the most important galleries from the Asia Pacific region and leading galleries from the West such as Gagosian Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, Lisson Gallery, Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin and White Cube.

This year has new endeavours to boast about. “The ART FUTURES section of the Fair provides a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the upcoming generation of artists and galleries from around the world” explains Magnus Renfrew, Fair Director, ART HK. “We are delighted to see the continued development of ART FUTURES this year with the support of Lane Crawford”.

Highlights for the Asian galleries include Chinese artist Gao Weigang’s new installation, Intuition, shown by Magician Space from Beijing, and a new wooden installation work, created by Bandungborn artist Radi Arwinda especially for ART FUTURES, showcased by Platform3 from Indonesia. Additionally, Tristian Koenig from Australia will present all new work by Sydney-based artist Christopher Hanrahan.

Magnus Renfrew, was previously director of exhibitions at Contrasts Gallery in Shanghai. Prior to that, he was a specialist at Bonhams and worked at Phillips de Pury, where he pioneered in the promotion of contemporary Chinese art in Europe. Renfrew has designed ARTHK11 in terms of the challenges offered by core values of quality and geographical diversity. And with an audience of sheer sophistication, ARTHK11 holds the pulse of discovery and enriching experiences. “We are looking for a partnership that can grow as the fair develops. With sponsorship and Lane Crawford, we uphold the quest at looking for a good product. In a short span of time, we have shown that we are a very good product”.

Magnus Renfrew. Fair Director, has introduced the ART FUTURES section. Visitors can now experience the upcoming generation of artists and galleries from around the world.

India will have a vital representation with the Main Fair containing Nature Morte from New Delhi and Project 88 from Mumbai. The ART FUTURES event will have Seven Art Limited & Exhibit 320 from New Delhi. And the new project ASIA ONE will feature 3 stalwarts in the art scene, Sharan Apparao’s – Apparao Galleries from Chennai; Renu Modi’s -Gallery Espace from Delhi; and Shalini Sawhney’s The Guild from Mumbai. Hauser and Wirth the English gallery that represents Subodh Gupta will bring in an important installation of Subodh Gupta.

In an exclusive to TOI, Director Magnus said: ARTHK11, stands apart for its ability to be distinct as well as different in terms of its objectives and its ability to attract a strong and new collector base which has a strong international flavour.

“While fairs in Asia tend to be very regional, or localized in dealing with artists, galleries as well as a collector base, ARTHK has an international flavour,” states Magnus to TOI. “Both in terms of scale and scope we adopted a very rigorous selection process, and our idea of selectivity is based on an independent selection that is driven by great insight and novel practices. In the west, we often see artists showing the same work at different locations, here at Hong Kong, we are looking at art that has relevance to the new world order, we want to reflect a certain freshness that is exciting as well as geared towards exploration. We are also about an Asian flavour, we need to educate the Asian collector base, about the diversity of Asian art and the region, and offer a comprehensive experience.”

ART HK 11, the fourth edition of the Hong Kong International Art Fair, sponsored by Deutsche Bank, will take place from 26-29 May 2011 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Author

Critic and Curator Uma Nair has been writing for the past 29 years on art and culture She has written as critic for Times of India and Economic Times. She believes that art is a progressive sojourn. And there are those who are taught and those who are self taught. She herself had learnt by looking at the best shows in Washington D.C. and New York. And life is about learning and growing...

Critic and Curator Uma Nair has been writing for the past 29 years on art and culture She has written as critic for Times of India and Economic Times. She b. . .

From around the web

More from The Times of India

Comments

Top Comment

()

Author

Critic and Curator Uma Nair has been writing for the past 29 years on art and culture She has written as critic for Times of India and Economic Times. She believes that art is a progressive sojourn. And there are those who are taught and those who are self taught. She herself had learnt by looking at the best shows in Washington D.C. and New York. And life is about learning and growing...

Critic and Curator Uma Nair has been writing for the past 29 years on art and culture She has written as critic for Times of India and Economic Times. She b. . .